36 | AUGUST 15 • 2024 J
N

G

rowing up in a large Jewish 
community, I always saw 
my peers going to Israel 
the summer of their sophomore year 
of college to participate in Taglit 
Birthright Israel (Birthright) and 
Birthright Israel Onward (Onward) — 
and I sought to do the same. 
When the horrifying events of Oct. 
7 occurred, I didn’t know if this dream 
would be a reality for me. My college 

campus turned into a threatening 
environment as I would pass 
through large protests that disrupted 
my classes, a shockingly large 
encampment with signs saying, “Long 
Live the Intifada,
” and people coming 
up to me one-on-one making remarks 
for wearing a Jewish star or my “Bring 
Them Home” dog tag necklace. From 
these experiences, I learned to be 
resilient, and my desire to go to Israel 

grew stronger than ever.
Keeping in mind all safety concerns, 
I was fortunate that the University 
of Michigan Hillel was running 
Birthright and Onward programs, and 
I participated in both this summer. 
These experiences were nothing short 
of amazing. 
On Birthright, I was able to see key 
sites of Israel with the most impactful 
being a graffiti tour we took in Tel 
Aviv. I have participated in graffiti 
tours during past Israel trips, but this 
time, I was able to see how artists 
were inspired by the war to paint 
pieces reflecting their own thoughts 
and feelings. I remember specifically 
seeing a street with many different 
murals representing different hostages 
and how family members described 
their lives pre-Oct. 7. 
Art representing children depicted 
them riding bikes, playing music 
and hugging their parents whereas 
art representing adults showed 
flowers, symbolizing blooming and 
flourishing, and light that represented 
the non-physical light each of these 
hostages brought into the lives of 

those who knew them.
Beyond this, seven Israeli soldiers 
our age joined us for a portion of 
the trip where we were able to ask 
questions about the climate in Israel, 
hear their stories of Oct. 7 and make 
new friends I am still in touch with to 
this day. 
We also participated in programs 
about antisemitism and finding our 
Jewish identity. I was asked to lead a 
program focused on communicating 
with people from diverse back-
grounds. These programs taught me 
a lot about how I want to practice 
Judaism and express my Jewish pride 
at U-M and in my own home. 

ONWARD ON MY 
JEWISH JOURNEY
A few days after the end of my 
Birthright trip, Onward began. Soon, I 
was living in an apartment in Tel Aviv 
with three amazing roommates and 
friends that became family. During 
the Onward program, I interned at a 
health-tech startup company where I 
made a lasting impact on the compa-
ny and interacted daily with my Israeli 

10 Weeks in 
Israel

How my Birthright and Onward missions in 
Israel have inspired me for the fall semester.

Shayna Foreman } jewish@edu writer

 Andy Tukel 
and Shayna 
Foreman 

Starting top left: Max Friedman, Gavi Sela (Syracuse U), Josh Brown, Anna Jacoby, 
Gila Shechter, Sophie Copley and Shayna Foreman. 

continued on page 38

for college students by college students
August 15, 2024 / 11 Av 5784

